2-15-05, 8:40am

In a press conference last week, President Bush claimed that he would listen to 'any good idea' for protecting Social Security. So I thought of a few ideas, but I doubt they will make their way into his hands or his policies. He’s already demonstrated that he simply ignores opinions that he disagrees with. Since the media blitz and cross-country stumping, Bush’s approval numbers have again fallen under 50 percent and yesterday’s polls show that the majority of Americans reject Bush’s plan. Maybe if he had been honest about his plans for Social Security, some of those red states would have been blue last November.

Anyway, here are four basic and painless ideas for strengthening Social Security that I’m positive Bush won’t listen to:

1) Create more higher paying jobs.

Because Social Security is funded through payroll taxes (a percentage of workers’ wages), low unemployment and high wages logically mean that more money will flow into the system, ensuring its stability. A growth in manufacturing jobs and union protections would cause wages to rebound after years of stagnation. Under Bush’s watch 3 million high-paying manufacturing jobs have disappeared, and he has consistently attacked unions and blocked workers’ rights with a far-right controlled National Labor Relations Board.

Further, while the unemployment rate falls officially, record numbers of workers are leaving the workforce, more are 'underutilized,' and still more are working for lower wages. All of this means that the flow of resources into the Social Security system is shrinking.

Could it be that Bush wants this to happen and that his anti-Social Security ideology trumps his 'compassion' for working people?

2) Adopt a tax policy that actually stimulates the economy.

Bush’s tax cut ideology has put hundreds of billions of dollars into the hands of the already wealthy and secure parts of the population. A real tax cut stimulus would aim the benefits at the working majority that actually consumes what is made in the economy and keeps it going. If working people can’t buy the things they need, the economy shuts down. It is pretty simple. Because the wealthiest people in the country cannot consume nearly as much as the working majority, it makes no sense to give them so much. Yet Bush 2006 budget proposal seeks to give the top 2 percent of the population 97 percent of a planned $1.6 trillion tax cut.

On top of this, Bush’s tax policy has turned a budget surplus into a massive $600 billion dollar deficit that strains all federal resources.

Could it be that Bush wants a large deficit to make public programs like Social Security seem less stable?

3) Invest in worker retraining and education.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that investment in education and training is key for future workers to have the knowledge needed for economic development.

So why does Bush consistently gut education and worker training programs?

4) Stop spiraling medical care and prescription drug costs.

Medical and prescription drug costs are currently growing 5 or 6 times the rate of inflation. Ideally a national health care system would control – even reduce – costs by increasing the risk pool, eliminating the profit motive, and with manageable administrative costs (as opposed to the current maze of bloated corporate bureaucracies). Such a program would save tens of billions of dollars each year for public programs including Social Security.

No payroll tax increase (unless you’re ultra-rich). No benefit cuts. No lies and half-truths. No ideological agenda, except good paying jobs and investment in health care and education. If Bush wants good ideas, he needs to listen to working people rather than investment bankers and right-wing ideologues. But then again, we aren’t his base are we.



--Joel Wendland is managing editor of Political Affairs and can be reached at jwendland@politicalaffairs.net.

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